Compare towns
Athens vs Brookfield vs Plainfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Vermont.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Athens has the most affordable homes ($240k median).
Brookfield has the highest household income ($99k).
Plainfield has the shortest commute (24 min average).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Athens | Brookfield | Plainfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 431Lowest |
1,486Highest |
1,314 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.7%Lowest VT: +2.8% |
-0.6%Highest VT: +2.8% |
| Median age | 47.3±6.5 10% above VT |
47±5.9Lowest 9% above VT |
48.1±5.5Highest 12% above VT |
| Plainfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 13.9%±6.5Lowest VT: 17.9% |
18.8%±4.1Highest VT: 17.9% |
16.3%±4.7 VT: 17.9% |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 21.6%±4.6 VT: 21.4% |
29.7%±6.4Highest VT: 21.4% |
21.1%±3.5Lowest VT: 21.4% |
| Brookfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.3%Lowest VT: 43.8% |
45.3% VT: 43.8% |
48.2%Highest VT: 43.8% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.9%±3Highest VT: 7% |
3.2%±2.4 VT: 7% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest VT: 7% |
| Athens and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $68,438±$30kLowest 16% below VT |
$98,500±$23kHighest 21% above VT |
$69,250±$31k 15% below VT |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $240,400±$32kLowest 24% below VT |
$339,300±$15kHighest 7% above VT |
$318,400±$34k about the VT average |
| Brookfield and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,125±$537 9% below VT |
$975±$306Lowest 21% below VT |
$1,153±$103Highest 7% below VT |
| Plainfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,438Highest 8% above VT |
$4,560Lowest 10% below VT |
$4,806 5% below VT |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±39 VT: 48.4% |
30.4%±27.8Lowest VT: 48.4% |
73.2%±53.9Highest VT: 48.4% |
| Plainfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.1%Highest VT: 10.1% |
6.3%Lowest VT: 10.1% |
11.6% VT: 10.1% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 73.7%Lowest VT: 73.2% |
87.9%Highest VT: 73.2% |
80.9% VT: 73.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973 3 yrs older than VT |
1975Highest 1 yr older than VT |
1955Lowest 21 yrs older than VT |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 36 min 53% above VT |
37 minHighest 55% above VT |
24 minLowest about the VT average |
| Work from home | 19.3%±7.5 VT: 16.9% |
27.3%±10.4Highest VT: 16.9% |
16.4%±4.4Lowest VT: 16.9% |
| Brookfield and Athens are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 | — |
| High school in town | — | None in town | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
VT average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.